This invention relates to gear couplings and particularly to a gear coupling having an integrally mounted mechanism for disconnecting the coupling halves.
Gear couplings are common devices for joining a driving shaft and a driven shaft. In their simplest form, the couplings include a pair of hubs, one of which is attached to each of the shafts, with each of the hubs having a series of external gear teeth, usually crowned. The two hubs are joined by a coupling sleeve which has a series of internal gear teeth which mate with the teeth of the hubs.
There are instances of use of gear couplings when it is desirable to disconnect the two shafts without disassembling and removing the coupling. This has typically been accomplished by providing devices for shifting the coupling sleeve so that it disengages the teeth of one of the hubs. The present devices for accomplishing that shifting use a lever mechanism which engages the sleeve. The lever mechanism typically has its fulcrum or pivot mounted remote from the coupling. By moving the lever, either manually or with power assist, the sleeve is caused to be shifted from engagement with one of the hubs.
The disadvantage of such an arrangement is that it requires a means for mounting the shifting mechanism in the vicinity of but separate from the coupling. This increases both the complexity of the installation and the space required for the installation.
A disconnect coupling in accordance with our invention provides a mechanism for shifting a coupling sleeve to disconnect the gear coupling, which mechanism is incorporated in and mounted wholly upon the gear coupling.